When characters are written, they have different speech patterns and vocabulary to give them individual voices. When narrating, there are many aspects to spoken voice that can bring your characters to life and help them sound different from each other.
Here are some simple ones to start with.
Pitch – Pitch is a fundamental element of speech that denotes the perceived lowness or highness of sound. It also plays an important role in understanding emotions and designates certain characters. For example, a higher pitch denotes a woman or child, and a lower pitch denotes a man.
Tempo – Much like the rhythm in music, the tempo in voice acting determines the beat and pace of the narrative. A hurried delivery in voice acting can convey tension or excitement, while a slow tempo can bring out the emotions in a melancholic scene or give emphasis to every word. To get started, have characters speak at different speeds, not too fast or slow, otherwise, it can be difficult for the listener to understand.
Cadence – Cadence is the way that your words flow. It is the rhythm in which you speak, the words you choose to emphasize, and the up-and-down movement of your pitch throughout your sentences. In voice-over, vocal cadence varies depending on the script. For example, if you are reading a script for an eco-documentary, your cadence will be slow as you are giving the audience more time to take it all in. On the other hand, it you’re reading a 15-second YouTube ad script, your cadence will be much faster, where your primary focus will be on fitting all the information in.
. Posture – The posture you hold while speaking can change the sound of your voice, so standing tall for a confident character or slouching for an unmotivated character will give depth to your performance.
Emotion – Individual characters may also sound different through their performance, depending on what is happening at a particular time. Adding emotions to the voices can really help bring the story to life. This can be done by softening your voice during a proclamation of love or speeding up your voice during an action scene. Imagine how you would sound if you were feeling those emotions.
Pre-reading – Going in prepared and making notes on the manuscript can make it much easier to narrate. Allocating a color to each frequent character and highlighting their perspective dialogue passages is a great way to keep track of who is saying what. A smart move is underlying words that need emphasis. Another trick is to change the font color of words that you may have difficulty pronouncing and change them in the document to the phonetic spelling.
The Essentials
While the aspects of the spoken voice are essential to voice-over artistry, there are several basic requirements of voice-over acting:
· A decent speaking voice: The days of the “Golden Pipes” are history. Voice acting is not about your voice – it’s about what you can do with your voice.
· Excellent reading skills: all voiceover work requires excellent reading skills. There is no memorization in voice over work.
· An ability to act and take direction: You must be able to change your delivery and interpretation at the whim of the director.
· Passion: You must be willing to spend the time, energy, and money necessary to develop your acting skills, and market and promote your talent.
· A sense of humor: While skill goes a long way in the world of voice-over artistry, having a range of emotions to work with can give your voice much depth. A good sense of humor generally does seem to add that much-needed emotional touch to your spoken voice.
Final Thoughts
While it’s crucial to focus on the spoken voice, the essentials sometimes take a leg-up. Don’t believe us, hear it from Seth Macfarlane. During a podcast with Logically Speaking, the producer of the hit sitcom Family Guy stated his love for writing and passion for character-building through the spoken voice.
If you are looking to sell your product, train your employees, perk up your IVR, bring your book to life, create a vocal brand for your company or any other service that requires professional voice over artist, feel free to connect with me. As a strong believer in the power of voice, over the years, I have had the delight of working with organizations far and wide. For every project, I make the commitment to bring engagement and energy with a sense of humor and a deep passion!
